Jessie Ware continues in the dance vein of her two previous albums in her new era, framed in an album called ‘Superbloom’ that will be released in April. The first single, ‘I Could Get Used to This’, has offered a good dose of pop-disco aphrodisiac in the vein of Minnie Ripperton. The second, ‘Ride’, draws on the horse that Bianca Jagger brought into Studio 54, but also on other things.
‘Ride’ is based on a sample from the soundtrack of ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, by Ennio Morricone. The sample forms the chorus itself, as Ware whispers “arre, arre, arre!” behind. The idea is reminiscent of the one presented by Troye Sivan in ‘Got Me Started’, which quite creatively sampled ‘Shooting Stars’ by Bag Raiders.
‘Ride’ isn’t as creative, but the worst part is that it’s no longer elegant, which is why we turned to Jessie Ware’s music in the first place. ‘Ride’ has a certain semblance of elegance and sophistication due to its recited verses, but the base’s homage to the ’90s is overdone and, without the sample, the song doesn’t seem like much.
Its crescendo and final burst of euphoria are achieved, but this production, worked with Jack Peñate, among others, is too close aesthetically and spiritually to things like ‘On the Floor’, by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull. Jessie Ware knows how to spin things more finely.
There is still one consolation: discovering that ‘Ride’ “wins within the album”, as they say. There it occupies track 9, so perhaps it makes more sense after the previous 8.
‘Superbloom’:
The Garden Prelude
I Could Get Used to This
Superbloom
Automatic
Chariots of Love Interlude
Sauna
Mr. Valentine
Love You For
Ride
Don’t You Know Who I Am?
16 Summers
Don’t Get
Mon Amour
